Devil Drawing Near
by Silverspoon
Summary: When Gale Hawthorne is injured during an attempt to rescue Peeta and the other tributes, Katniss makes a choice that reveals her true feelings and sets her free from the Capitol's lies. Ten years later, the repercussions of her decision once again threaten the rebellion and the lives of those she loves. Katniss/Gale AU
1. Achilles Last Stand

_**Authors' Note – **_This fic is a collaboration between Silverspoon and WelshWitch1011. For the purposes of copyright, we own absolutely nothing and no disrespect is intended with this work of fanfiction.

We have read the books and enjoyed them immensely, but there were one or two things we weren't completely content with, hence this story. This fic will follow the timeline of the Hunger Games movies more closely than the books.

If you dislike a Gale/Katniss pairing then look away now. More Gale for us!

_**Chapter One**_

_**Achilles' Last Stand**_

In. Out. In. Out.

If it wasn't for the hand Haymitch had planted firmly in the small of Katniss' back, she was certain she would never have remembered to breathe.

As it was, she was already feeling lightheaded, sick and terrified; the antithesis of everything the Mockingjay had come to represent to the people she sought to inspire. It was certainly true that the Games had destroyed some small part of Katniss Everdeen and that, over the previous weeks, she had found herself looking into the mirror above the minuscule sink in her compartment, only to find a shadow of her former self reflected back at her.

But she wasn't done yet.

The Mockingjay had not laid down her weapons and she had yet to bow down before the Capitol, even though they had done everything in their power to break her resolve. There was a spark still flickering promisingly in her belly even as she kept her eyes trained on the screen in front of her; the screen that brought her the view of the old training centre where Peeta was being held, through the eyes of the team that was risking everything to save him.

When she had learned that Gale was among them, the first to volunteer in fact, Katniss had been stricken with the sudden urge to pick up her bow and use it to threaten anyone who dared stand in the way of her attempt to follow. But Katniss was no hovercraft pilot and she was fairly certain that Gale and Peeta would be among the ashes fertilising Snow's roses before she had even made it half way to the Capitol on foot. And so instead she had let out a weak sob that she had immediately hated herself for and allowed Haymitch to lead her to the command centre, where she could watch the deaths of two of the people she loved most play out in high definition. It was a cruel and unusual punishment, and Katniss found herself empathising even more with the parents, siblings and friends who had been forced to bear witness to the brutal deaths of their loved ones during the televised Games. With her eyes squeezed tight closed, she thought of Glimmer, Marvel and Cato, and wondered if _this_ was to be their retribution.

President Coin prowled the control room like a caged tiger, her hands planted on her hips as she kept her gaze trained on the screen. Katniss admired the woman's poise and control, yet she knew the leader of District 13 had far less to lose if the mission were to fail.

Sanctioning a rescue attempt for Peeta had been a bargaining chip; nothing more, nothing less. The mission was designed to ensure Katniss' continued cooperation- to give the rebels a face for their cause that served Coin's agenda far more than it did the unwilling Mockingjay.

And of course Gale was just another soldier. A faceless name to be mourned and quickly forgotten, like the countless men before him who had sacrificed their lives in pursuit of freedom.

Katniss found herself unwillingly transfixed by the black and white images on the screen, despite the overwhelming need she felt to look away and run fast and far from those pictures.

She couldn't watch them die.

Someone else could break the news to her later. Maybe it would be Coin. Perhaps Plutarch. Or would Effie be the one to draw the short straw in bearing witness to the crazy Mockingjay's latest mental breakdown?

No. It would be Primrose. Katniss was certain that her sister was the only one who would know her well enough in her grief – the only one who would be able to comprehend the extent of the feelings Katniss herself had tried to ignore for quite some time.

After all, Prim knew her better than anyone, and she would see that despite the fresh bonds of friendship and respect Katniss had forged with Peeta, nobody could compare to Gale. To lose him would be unthinkable and unnatural. He had been her constant companion; the only person whose company she craved and good opinion she sought.

_Gale is mine, and I am his._

It was a simple truth that had needed to remain unspoken, buried beneath the lies inflicted on her by the Capitol. But it _was_ the truth, and Katniss wished more than anything in the world that she had found the courage to tell him. He had deserved that much at least.

"Alright. They're in. It's show time."

Katniss blinked as the sound of Plutarch's voice pulled her from her reverie, and she slid further toward the edge of her seat, her hands desperately gripping the armrests for support.

The camera bobbed unsteadily as Gale ran through the hallways, blasting doors from their hinges and charging up darkened stairwells with a kind of bravery and disregard that made Katniss wonder if he was at all concerned with returning home to her.

She supposed she had hardly given him reason to of late. Her anxiety and apparent yearning for Peeta had eclipsed all else, and Katniss had to admit that she was guilty of treating her best friend no better than the Capitol had treated her for years.

Katniss dug her nails into the soft covers of the armrests and forced herself to keep watching. If she had believed in a God, she would have chosen that moment to offer up a prayer but, as it happened, she did not and she couldn't bring herself to utter anymore lies.

"He'll be okay, sweetheart," Haymitch muttered so quietly that Katniss was not sure at first if she had imagined him speaking at all. However, a slight glance to her left and she found Haymitch staring at her unashamedly. Katniss blinked back the tears that welled in her eyes with renewed determination. She remained silent and her gaze slid back to the screen. She was uncertain as to exactly who Haymitch referred, but she dared not ask.

"They don't know we're there… yet," a voice from behind a computer console declared, succeeding in drawing Coin's sharp eye. Katniss let out a quiet sigh of relief and folded her hands in her lap, willing her legs to cease trembling.

"We have a visual on the holding cells," another operative added as Coin finally ceased pacing the room and came to a halt in front of the screen.

Katniss let out the breath she had not realised she had been holding in a whoosh, raising one hand to cover her mouth as she saw a line of iron doors come into view on the screen above. She watched in perfect silence, heart hammering in her ears, as Gale proceeded down the long, straight corridor, taking the lead as he so often was inclined to. The others followed behind him with their weapons drawn, sweeping every inch of the area in anticipation of the enemy. Everything had been remarkably quiet thus far and Katniss could not shake the feeling that somehow, someway, they would be made to pay for this surprising lack of opposition.

Gale stalked down the hall, pausing before each door only long enough to peer through the rectangular windows set high in the frames. He moved on from several cells in a row as he presumably found them all devoid of an occupant. Finally, he stopped in front of the last door in the hallway, his eyes narrowing as he peered through the peephole. Then, he signaled with a single gesture for the other soldiers to join him and Katniss watched as they swarmed at his back, weapons readied.

Reaching into his pocket, Gale pulled out a palm-sized explosive device that Katniss recognised from Beetee's lab, and wasted no time in affixing it to the door jamb. Haymitch's hand shot out, latching firmly around Katniss' knee, and she realised that her left leg had been bouncing up and down uncontrollably. She continued to tremble beneath his touch, her nerves controlling her body against her will.

"Almost home free, sweetheart," Haymitch reminded her, offering her a half smile that unfortunately betrayed his own unease.

"Something isn't right, Haymitch," she hissed, biting her bottom lip fervently and succeeding in drawing a bead of blood. "I don't know how… why… but something isn't right."

"I'm too old and too sober for this," Haymitch grumbled, rubbing at his jawline with a gnarled palm and returning his attention to the screen.

"We have the hostages in sight."

All eyes in the room focused on the team as they hurriedly affixed explosive devices onto the control panels of two other cells positioned on the opposite side of the corridor. Annie and Johanna were still unaccounted for, and Katniss could only presume that they too had now been located behind the heavy sheets of metal. The soldiers and Gale suddenly raced down the hallway, ducking down behind the corner wall that jutted out and covering their faces with their arms as the devices detonated in perfect synchronicity seconds later. Clouds of thick, white smog unfurled into the atmosphere and the soldiers immediately sprang back into life.

Katniss gulped, watching the smoke in one cell dissipate through Gale's head-cam. Finally, accompanied by the sound of heaving coughs, the image of a pale and frightened Peeta Mellark cowering in a far corner came into view.

"He's alive," murmured Katniss, closing her eyes momentarily as relief washed over her and she felt Haymitch's hand fasten around hers.

Katniss returned her attention to the screen, desperate to see the two men make their escape as the sounds of gunfire and blaring alarm bells caused her heart to suddenly begin pounding frantically against her rib cage.

She watched as Gale reached out to help Peeta to his feet, but the shorter man instead regarded his rescuer's extended hand with a curiously blank stare.

Peeta slowly rose to his feet unaided only to stand motionless, his eyes boring into Gale's in a manner that caught the attention of all those watching from the relative safety of District 13. Hatred, jealousy, spite – all flashed across Peeta's face in rapid succession, and Katniss' heart plummeted.

"Wh-what's he doing?" Katniss stammered, glancing up urgently at Haymitch who appeared equally as confused by his young protégé's behaviour.

"Get the hell out of there, kid," Haymitch urged quietly, his eyes wide as he took in the scene with an increasing sense of dread. Katniss was right; something was most definitely amiss.

Above the frantic yells of his colleagues, Gale could clearly be heard imploring Peeta to get up, to run, and he cast a hurried glance at the doorway as the gunfire drew ever closer.

The camera was now once again on Peeta's face, allowing Katniss to search his sunken eyes for any semblance of an explanation. Slowly, Peeta stared up at Gale and his blue eyed gaze flickered only momentarily to the doorway before his mouth opened, and Katniss' entire world crumbled around her.

"GUARDS!"

Peeta's voice, certain and impossibly loud, rang out through the control room, and Katniss felt the bile rising in the back of her throat.

"No…" she whispered, shaking her head as tears coursed unchecked down both cheeks, splashing onto the front of her drab grey, standard issue tunic. "Peeta… no…"

A second soldier suddenly joined Gale in the cell, and the camera on his headset picked up the indecision flickering clearly across Gale's features as he appeared to debate their next move. As Peeta's shouts only increased in fervour and volume, Gale seemed to make his decision. Pulling back one arm, he punched Peeta square in the jaw, sending the man tumbling back against the wall of the cell. Peeta slumped, hovering between waking and unconsciousness, his eyes rolling as he struggled to focus.

"What do I do?" Gale demanded, his voice coming through the speaker system, the undercurrent of panic he felt evident in his tone. "Command, what do I do?"

"Tell him to get out of there," Katniss choked out, finally tearing her eyes away from the screen and affixing her desperate gaze upon Coin. "They have to go."

"I'm inclined to agree," Coin replied, her tone still smooth and measured, although there was a hint of panic in her eyes buried just below the surface.

"Command, do we retrieve the hostages?" Gale called out, his voice laden with confusion, "shoul-…"

A sudden grunt and a cry of pain filled the control room, and the feed from Gale's camera abruptly cut out without warning. Katniss leaped out of her seat, scrambling towards the nearest computer console with a cry of alarm and the desperate air of a woman possessed.

"Where is he? What happened?" Katniss shrieked, fighting through the restraining arm Haymitch wrapped around her with relative ease. Spurred on by adrenaline and fear, Katniss raced forwards, pressing her palm against the now blank screen as the sounds of weapons discharging continued to feed through the still working microphone.

"Link in to another camera, right now," Coin barked, her control beginning to fray as she realised that the operation had gone south far faster than any of them had strategized for. She would be truly sad to lose Hawthorne, who had shown the makings of a promising soldier. She also highly doubted that her Mockingjay would withstand such a loss, and she knew enough about Katniss Everdeen's character to realise that the fate of the entire rebellion undoubtedly rested on the decisions made within the next few minutes.

The president whirled around, seizing Katniss' shoulders and forcing the distraught younger woman to peer up into her face. She shook the girl gently, commanding her full attention before she spoke in a low and desperate voice.

"Katniss, I need you to hold it together for me," she stated, her tone leaving no room for argument, "I will do everything in my power to get them out of there but I…"

The president was cut off as an unfamiliar voice suddenly echoed throughout the command centre, coming live from the darkened camera feed.

"Ma'am… Hawthore is down. I repeat, Hawthorne is down."

Katniss blinked through the steady stream of tears, and her hands fastened around the tops of Coin's arms with unrestrained force. The president winced but made no move to pull away, locked into the intensity of Katniss' stare.

"Bring him home," Katniss begged, forgoing any remaining traces of self-respect she may have had left in 13. Her voice cracked as she watched Coin's countenance falter and something akin to sympathy flicker across the woman's features, "Please… please bring him home. I can't do this without him."

Haymitch and Plutarch exchanged a pointed look, but it was the former who bravely broke the silence.

Placing his hand gently on Katniss' shoulder, Haymitch held the sobbing girl in his arms, cradling the back of her head in a strangely paternal manner that surprised even himself.

"Sweetheart, I know this is hard, but Peeta…"

Katniss shook her head as she sucked in a deep breath and lifted her teary-eyed gaze to her old mentor's face.

"Gale…" she whispered, her voice shaking with terror as the numerous possibilities of the fate that had befallen the young soldier played out in her mind. Her cheeks paled and something resembling an odd combination of shame and relief crashed across Katniss' features even as she continued to regard Haymitch.

And then suddenly, he finally understood. It was the reason Katniss had never truly been able to convince him or Snow of her love for the young baker, and the reason why her indifference had been so difficult to conquer; her heart had already belonged to another.

Wrapping Katniss in his arms, Haymitch turned to President Coin and hoped that for once his tone conveyed his conviction.

"You heard her- bring the boy home. You make sure Hawthorne's on that hovercraft or you find yourself another Mockingjay."

President Coin considered his demand for only a moment, before she leaned over the command console and pressed the button to interrupt the video feed.

Moments later, the mission to rescue Peeta Mellark and the other tributes was aborted, and the team were delegated one final task - bring home Gale Hawthorne, dead or alive.


	2. To Be Free

_**Chapter Two**_

_**To Be Free**_

When she was a little girl, not long before her father's death, Katniss had found the dark comforting. Lying awake in the small bed she had shared with Prim, she had stared at the shadows cast on the walls around her without even a semblance of fear. The shapes thrown onto the white plaster by overhanging tree branches and random pieces of furniture were entrancing rather than terrifying, and Katniss had whiled away many sleepless hours just simply watching, finding solace in the quiet. After the accident in the mines, with their mother so hopelessly vacant and incapable of being the nurturing figure that Primrose needed, Katniss had attempted to show her little sister just how much solace could be found in the darkness. Katniss had woken a then seven year old Prim in the early hours of the bleakest Winter morning, but her sister had soon grown too afraid and Katniss had been forced to light a lamp to dispel the gloom. Primrose, with her small hand held fast in Katniss' larger one, had listened to the sweet lullaby spilling from her sister's lips, eventually falling back into slumber curled into the older girl's side.

Standing in the threshold of the doorway of their compartment, her eyes struggling to adjust to the inherent darkness within, Prim was once again reminded of that very moment. She swallowed hard as she gazed at her sister, who was lying on her back on her bunk, her hands folded across her stomach and her eyes boring into the ceiling, wide and unseeing. Prim wanted nothing more than to go to her, to provide the comfort that she knew her sister so sorely needed, but she was not certain that coddling was in the Mockingjay's best interests given all that lay ahead of them in the coming months. Katniss would need to be strong; to allow herself to be fashioned into the leader that the rebellion so desperately yearned for, but Primrose was certain that none of that would be possible without Gale's steady and unwavering presence at her side. Prim swallowed again, harder this time as she struggled to choke down the wave of emotion that threatened to overwhelm her, and suddenly Katniss' gaze traveled to meet hers.

The two sisters simply stared at each other, a heavy silence hanging over them that each was too scared to shatter for fear of what the truth may reveal.

Finally, she could take no more and Katniss sat up, her gaze still fixed fearfully on Primrose, who was rooted to the spot and wringing her hands in front of the blood spattered apron that covered her pinafore.

Katniss' breath was uneven and ragged and each time she thought she had found the strength to speak, her courage failed her again. She stared unblinkingly at her little sister, tears flowing silently down her cheeks.

Primrose's expression was grave and, as she moved to gently settle herself at Katniss' side, she placed her arm around her sibling in a comforting gesture.

Knowing that Katniss would never volunteer the question that had been torturing her for the last few hours, Prim allowed her quiet voice to break through the darkness uninvited.

"Gale's out of surgery," she murmured, "they were able to repair the tear in the femoral artery, but... but he lost a lot of blood."

Katniss nodded, her mind racing to process the information.

"Will he live?" she whispered hoarsely, swallowing hard as Primrose made no attempt to reply.

"Prim… will he be okay?"

Turning her face toward the light, Primrose regarded her reluctantly. The second Katniss saw her sister's own tears, a sense of terror overcame her that made her stomach lunge and her heart begin to race. If Primrose was worried, she knew there was real reason to fear for Gale's life.

Primrose smiled gently, her blue eyes emphasized by the tears that shone within them.

"He has to be," she eventually replied. "It's Gale."

Prim only needed to blink to see a thousand childhood memories play out in her mind's eye; images of Gale – the paternal presence that had made her younger years that little bit more bearable. He had been a steady and constant figure, always there to look out for her, sometimes as a brother and other times as a friend. But more often than not as a man too young to know fatherhood himself, who had dedicated his life to raising his own siblings and caring for her as if she too were a part of his family.

Gale Hawthorne was a good man; motivated by loyalty, duty and love. Primrose couldn't be sure of the exact moment she had realised he was in love with her sister, but it hadn't taken long to ascertain that Katniss more than reciprocated those feelings. The Capital could never have truly conquered a love that had been formed when they were little more than children. The two shared a history, family, and an unyielding trust that Prim prayed had not ultimately sent the young soldier to his death.

Katniss released the breath she had been holding and leaned forward, her hands covering her face as she wept, partly in relief and partly in horror. Her chest heaved with sobs, and the moment she felt Prim's fingers tenderly comb through her hair she allowed her sadness to overwhelm her.

"It's okay, he'll be okay," Katniss soothed, clasping Prim's hand in her own and trying to muster her most confident smile even through her tears, "Gale's strong- he's really strong and… he'd never leave us, you know that."

Primrose bobbed her head, her mind torn between believing her sister's reassuring words and the medical knowledge she had acquired. In the end, the latter won out, and Prim stood up from the edge of the cot, brushing at her cheeks with trembling fingers.

"You should go to him, Katniss. You have to tell him. He needs to know now. Gale needs to know the truth."

Katniss frowned, inhaling deeply as she tried to calm the sense of panic that she had permitted to envelope her. But Primrose would not allow her to deny her feelings again- not now; not when it might already be too late.

Prim shook her head ruefully, her eyes holding Katniss perfectly in place.

"Come on," she commanded, extending her hand and all but dragging Katniss to her feet.

The two girls walked arm in arm through the winding corridors of 13, their silence and premature grief weighing too heavily on their shoulders as they made their way to the hospital wing. They passed a sea of familiar faces, all turned to Katniss with varying looks of sympathy spread across their features, but the Mockingjay refused to acknowledge a single one of them, keeping her head down and her lips pressed into a thin line. She would not crumble again.

By the time they reached the doorway of Gale's room, Katniss could feel the panic and hysteria bubbling up in her chest and threatening to claim her once again. Sensing her sister's inner turmoil, Prim gave her hand a tight squeeze and wrapped her own fingers around the door handle so that Katniss would be spared the task.

"Is… is he even awake?" Katniss inquired, swiping at her wet cheeks with the back of her free hand and sucking in a steadying breath.

Prim shook her head, struggling to hold back her own sadness as she peeked through the window in the door at the figure lying in the bed, hooked up to varying pieces of machinery and swathed in a grey hospital issue sheet. It seemed such a paradox, seeing Gale looking so frail and helpless in a bed that was almost too tiny to accommodate his large frame. Katniss wavered and hesitated again, but Prim swung open the door and all but propelled her sister into the dimly lit room.

The machines beeped and Katniss started, her gaze drawn to Gale's chest as she sought the reassurance of watching it rise and fall with her own eyes. Once satisfied that he was indeed still with her, Katniss stumbled towards the bed, her hand outstretched and ready to fit around his.

She perched on the edge of the plastic chair positioned at the side of the bed and then spent several moments scrabbling beneath the sheet in order to find Gale's calloused hand. When she did, she was surprised to find that his skin was still warm to the touch, perhaps even a promising sign. Undoubtedly he looked pale and the dark circles staining the skin underneath his eyes were worrying, but Katniss forced herself to look away and back to her sister.

"Can he hear me?" she inquired, cocking her head to one side as she regarded Prim, who gave a small shrug.

"The truth is we don't really know," she answered, her voice gentle as though she were addressing a wounded animal and, in many ways, Katniss supposed she was.

"But I like to think he can," Prim finally finished, offering Katniss the first genuine smile she had managed to muster since Gale had been carried out of the hovercraft and deposited in the med wing, groaning, shaking and bleeding profusely. Prim blinked once, dispelling the image from her mind, and affixed her sister with what she hoped was her sternest look.

"I'll be right outside," Prim stated, making her exit and casting one final glance in her sister's direction before the door clicked closed.

Katniss stared around the room, taking in the sight of the machines and tubes that were at once both comforting and alarming. Squeezing Gale's hand, she rested her head lightly against his chest, seeking out the comfort and security she had always found in his arms. But Gale remained motionless, his chest moving up and down in measured breaths that seemed unnatural and stilted. Her free hand fluttered against his chest, and Katniss brushed her fingertips over the cotton fabric of the sheet and the standard issue hospital gown he had been dressed in. Letting her hand linger over where she assumed Gale's heart was positioned, Katniss raised their joined hands to her chest before laying her head back down next to his.

"Gale? I don't know if you can hear me, but I'm here and… I… I need you to wake up now. I need you to come back to me," she pleaded, watching his eyelids flicker as he slept. She took a moment to once again study his face; his thick lashes, the full curve of his lips, and his strong jaw that was set determinedly even in slumber.

"Your mom, your brothers, Posy… Prim… they all need you. _I need you_. So don't you dare leave us, you hear me?" she tried her best to sound commanding but realised that she had only succeeded in sounding desperate and heartbroken.

"I can't do this without you, Gale," she whispered, blinking profusely as a fresh cascade of tears splashed down her cheeks and dampened the white cotton pillowcase beneath her head.

"You need to wake up. There's things we need to talk about… There's something I have to tell you," she said, reaching out and carefully sweeping his hair from his forehead with her fingertips. "I'm not going tell you now. You have to come back to me first. And until then, I'm gonna stay right here and wait, like you waited for me. Like you've always waited."

As good as her word, Katniss settled back in her chair and waited.

She watched minutes and hours slowly bleed into days, never leaving Gale's side except to use the bathroom and to occasionally stretch her legs when the need arose. The doctors and nurses quickly gave up on attempting to dislodge their permanent visitor and, rather than try to dissuade her sister from staying as others had hoped, Prim instead smuggled her food rations in her pockets during her breaks.

On the fourth day of Gale being locked in a seemingly unreachable slumber, the unthinkable finally happened; Gale Hawthorne took a final, stuttering breath.

And opened his eyes.

**x-x-x**

_**Six weeks later…**_

It had been almost two months since Katniss had felt the sunshine kiss her cheeks and warm the tips of her ears, and so in the middle of the meadow she took a moment to close her eyes, throw back her head, and simply enjoy the sensation of being alive.

At her side, Gale stood patiently, leaning on the walking stick that he had favoured since being released from the infirmary. Prim had been particularly insistent on its use and, between the relentless badgering from her, Hazel and Mrs. Everdeen, Gale had been forced into obedience. He walked with a slight limp, understandably favouring his uninjured leg, but his impatience to be declared fit and back to full health was almost palpable every time Katniss saw him. She had managed to persuade everyone that what Gale really needed in order to speed up his recovery was a chance to return to the woods and fill his lungs with fresh air, even just as a spectator whilst Katniss hunted. Surprisingly, Prim had backed her up and the outing had been sanctioned on the condition that Katniss and Gale both carried communication devices in case they met trouble head on, as they both had a tendency to do.

Ghosting her hand over the blades of grass that surrounded them, Katniss let out a contented sigh and raised her hand above her forehead to shield her eyes from the sun. All that time living in the vast bunkers of District 13 had made her eyes slightly more sensitive to light than she was used to.

An easy silence had fallen between Katniss and Gale, and they were content to lay side by side in the grass, taking comfort in the other's company, just as they had always done.

Reclining her head, Katniss noted a troubled frown had settled on Gale's face, and she leaned up on her elbow and trailed a freshly plucked dandelion along the skin of his arm in order to get his attention.

"Gale? What is it?" she asked, noting with concern how he averted his eyes and seemed unwilling to hold her gaze.

He searched the horizon, squinting against the light as he sighed; the sound so utterly melancholy that it made Katniss impulsively reach out to incline his face toward her.

Licking his lips, Gale stared down at the ground and exhaled, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't save him."

Katniss blinked in surprise, shaking her head as she quickly made sense of his words and curled her fingers around his arm.

"No, Gale. No. It's not your fault," she insisted, "I don't know why Peeta did what he did, but… he made a choice. He made a choice and I have to find a way to live with that."

Gale nodded reluctantly and his expression seemed to darken even further. He stared down at her hand on his arm and placed his fingers over hers.

"I'd do anything to make you happy, Catnip. Even if that… even if that means I don't get to be the one beside you. You chose him, and I accept that. I lost you and…"

"Gale…" Katniss interrupted, finding herself silenced as he stared at her with unspeakable intensity.

"It's okay, Katniss, really. Maybe you were never mine to lose," he admitted, "but I wanted to bring him home. I swear to you I did everything I could to bring home the guy you love."

Growing increasingly exasperated, Katniss reached up and placed her fingertips against his lips, "You did."

Gale fell silent, his mouth opening in surprise as he digested her words, daring to hope that the meaning he had extracted from them was the correct one. Finally, to dispel any doubt still lingering in Gale's mind, Katniss leaned forwards and brushed her lips tenderly against his.

Her breath was warm against his skin and her hand came to rest against his cheek, pulling him hungrily to her to deepen the kiss that had come completely out of the blue. His heart soaring with renewed hope, Gale wove his fingers through Katniss' hair and reciprocated the gesture, his eyes fluttering closed as he sank back against the grass. Katniss moved to hover directly over him, one palm splayed on the ground to support her weight and the other resting lightly on Gale's broad chest. Finally, their need to draw oxygen became too great to ignore, and the pair tumbled apart like an electric current had been passed through their bodies.

"Woah…" Gale panted as he struggled to regulate his breathing and heart rate, both of which had grown erratic from the sheer proximity of the woman he loved; the woman he was certain he had loved since he was fourteen years old and traipsing through the words to hunt squirrels.

"When you… when I saw you in the training centre, all I could think about was how much I didn't want to lose you," Katniss whispered, drawing away and suddenly curling her knees into her chest. "Even before Peeta did what he did, all I wanted was for you to be back home and safe. With me."

"Katniss, what are you…" Gale began, finding himself silenced once more as Katniss simply shook her head at him, finally raising her gaze to meet his and allowing him to see the tears that streaked down her cheeks. Gale swallowed hard, yearning to reach out and brush the tears away but hardly daring to move.

"It's you, Gale," she half choked out, pushing her hair behind her ears and closing her eyes as she continued, "it's always been you. I just got so caught up in everything… in the lies and the guilt and… I guess I stopped seeing it – what we had."

She sniffled as she continued to stare at the ground, "Maybe now it's too late to go back and I get that. So much has happened. But I just can't stand you thinking that your life means so little to me that I could be anything but overjoyed to have you by my side."

Gale remained quiet, hearing his heart pounding in his own ears. He longed to believe that what Katniss had said was true but he had stopped hoping that she would love him back a long time ago.

"But what about Peeta?" he demanded, wincing as he sat up and hesitantly took her hand in his own, "Katniss… I know you better than anyone. You love him, I know it. I saw you, I…"

"You're right," Katniss nodded, and Gale felt his heart poised to break once again.

"I did... I… I do. But not like that. _Not like this_," she demonstrated, leaning closer and brushing a tender kiss against his lips.

"Peeta's my friend, but I couldn't make myself love him the way they wanted. I wanted… I _want_ him home safely. But I need to stop lying to everyone, Gale. I need to stop lying to myself," she said, drawing back to look into his eyes. Her palm swept his cheek and he could not help but lean into her touch, even though he was desperately afraid that she would pull away at any moment. Gale had become so accustomed to letting Katniss go that it felt almost like second nature.

"Don't let me fall more in love with you, Katniss… not if you're going to leave again," he said honestly, "I need to know this is real and not some kind of knee-jerk reaction because Peeta's all messed up and for once I look like the smarter choice."

"Is that really what you think of me?" Katniss asked, suddenly looking away and letting her hand drop from his face. "Guess I deserved that."

She thought over the broadcasts from the arena, the interviews and press junkets that Gale had seen; he could never have known how often she had longed for him to be there beside her, how in the quiet moments away from the cameras, he had been the one she kept secretly in her heart.

Gale's hand captured the back of her head and he turned her to face him, his expression earnest. "You deserve to be happy, Catnip. I just need to be sure that I'm the guy who'll make you happy."

She blinked away a tear and smiled at him as if he had known the answer to that question all along. And for once, Gale allowed himself to believe that he may finally get the girl.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, his smile growing as he contemplated the thousands of kisses they had sacrificed that he had every intention of making up for.

Katniss shrugged, keeping perfectly still as Gale inclined his head as if to kiss her again, and stared down at her lips with such hunger that she felt every nerve ending in her body practically singing with delight.

"We stay together… and cause all kinds of trouble."

**x-x-x**

He wasn't sure how long it had been since they had come for him. All he knew was that he had been moved to another cell in the bowels of the building and that the guards had all of a sudden become a little less hostile and savage.

Food rations had gradually increased, and the torture had stopped.

That was perhaps to be expected - he had after all thwarted an attempt by the Mockingjay's rebel friends to rescue him. He had warned District 13 of the impending air raid headed their way, and he had warned the Capital of the rebels' less than covert operation.

Peeta had learned that it was good to keep the playing field level. Katniss might have chosen her side, but that didn't mean the same had to be true for him. Besides, the very last person he would ever have accepted help from was Gale Hawthorne - the boy he had watched all those years in school as he effortlessly charmed the girls and excelled in his studies, with an infuriating air of indifference to it all. The only exception to that rule had of course been Katniss.

Peeta knew the reason Gale had been part of his rescue team was his devotion to Katniss, and the depth of his selflessness and blind adoration left Peeta nauseated. He had watched Gale take a bullet to the leg; Peeta had remained conscious long enough to see the extent of the blood pooled on the floor beneath Gale, and he had looked with satisfaction at the terror stricken expression on the young soldier's face.

The sudden sound of footfalls in the hall outside his cell catapulted Peeta into an instantly defensive pose, and he lifted his gaze warily to the door as the sound of the lock being opened caused every nerve ending to tense.

Blinking against the harsh light that suddenly filtered into his cell, Peeta's mouth dropped open in confusion at the sight of his impromptu visitor.

President Snow observed the young man for a few brief moments, before a slow, snarling smile appeared on his lips.

"Peeta, my dear boy…" he began, folding his hands in front of him as he appeared to deliberate over his words, "I was hoping you and I could talk."

Peeta shrugged, "I don't know anything about Katniss or her friends. If I did, don't you think I'd tell you?"

Snow chuckled softly, stroking the ends of his beard as he arched an equally white eyebrow. "Oh, I'm almost certain that you would, which is precisely why I'm here."

"Okay…" Peeta replied, feeling more at ease with each passing moment. Something about the President's countenance had him intrigued.

"I have a proposition for you, young man; one I think you will like very much. It is the opportunity of a life-time, I assure you."

Peeta needed no time to think over his proposal and the possibilities it implied, and he indicated the cot bed in his room with a somewhat self-assured shrug and a wave of his hand.

Nodding his head, Peeta answered with a haunting half smile, "I'm all ears."


	3. Everybody Wants To Rule The World

_**Chapter Three**_

_**Everybody Wants to Rule the World**_

_**8 years later…**_

It was always so dimly lit in the hallways, making it more difficult to navigate the sharp twists and turns that resulted from haphazard architecture, but she ran at full pelt nonetheless. She knew every slight bump and knot in the ground like the back of her hand, and she paused to leap over a particularly large dent in the concrete that could have tripped her otherwise.

She could hear the sound of voices further along the hall, undoubtedly coming from the command centre. A wide smile broke out across her face, creasing her grey eyes at the corners, as she recognised the loudest one of all. He was cracking some joke or other, and the resulting bout of laughter from the others occupying the room was so raucous that it boomed throughout the entire hallway. She picked up her pace a little more then, so eager to reach him that she hardly cared if she was about to careen around the corner and collide with another soldier, as she had done on more than one occasion already.

The door to the command centre was open and she launched herself through it so quickly that to those observing she was simply a blur of grey material and dark brown braids.

"Hey!" a young computer operative called out indignantly as she swept past his desk, her trailing arm sending the cup of coffee balanced on the edge tumbling to the ground. The thick, black liquid spilled out of the cup and began to pool on the floor, spreading dangerously close to a bundle of wires beneath the console that may or may not have been extremely important. She barely batted an eyelid, however.

Gale Hawthorne turned sharply on his heel at the sound of the disturbance, letting out a gasp as a small body flung itself against him, and two arms reached up in an unsuccessful attempt to encircle his waist.

"Daddy!" the excitable whirlwind of a child shrieked, throwing back her head and gazing up at her father with unchecked adoration blossoming across features that were so like Katniss'.

"Briar?!" Gale couldn't help the grin that tugged at his lips, despite the stern parental stance he knew he should be taking at that moment. Exasperated sighs and rolling eyes captured his attention, and so he hoisted the rambunctious four year old up into his arms and began to walk towards the door.

"What are you doing in here, huh?" he asked gently, pressing a kiss to her chubby cheek and smiling at her still baby-faced features. "Isn't Effie supposed to be taking care of you?"

The little girl bobbed her head solemnly.

"Yep," she replied, before instantly dismissing any accusation of wrong-doing with a heartfelt declaration, "but I miss you, Daddy!"

Gale couldn't help but chuckle; at only four years of age, Briar Hawthorne had her father wrapped entirely around her perfect little finger.

"Well I miss you too, sweetheart, but you know you're not supposed to be here when Daddy's working, right?" he jiggled her playfully in his arms as a pout formed on her rosebud lips.

"Sowwy, Daddy," she lisped, her eyebrows knitting together as she frowned.

"That's okay," Gale replied with a sigh and quickly kissed her cheek again, although his thoughts had now drifted to her designated babysitter, who would no doubt be in a fit of apoplexy at the idea of losing her charge, "I think maybe we should go and find Effie so you can tell her you're sorry for running off. Next time, you stay with Effie, okay?"

Briar only nodded, busying herself with running her fingertips over the buttons and badges positioned on her father's black military uniform. Any remorse at her actions was looking unlikely.

From the far end of the hall, Gale squinted to make out three figures hurrying toward him, and it wasn't long before the impossibly tall and comically shaped hair of Effie Trinket gave her away. Eight years away from the Capitol and her extensive wig collection had seen the former escort grow in a rather impressive head of brunette hair, which she insisted on styling in the most elaborate beehive she could manage, sans hairspray and styling products.

"Gale?" Katniss yelled, jogging down the corridor toward him, panic etched across her features. "Is she with you? Is she okay?"

"Right here, Catnip," Gale replied, waiting for his wife to reach them before he carefully passed their daughter into her waiting arms.

"Momma!" Briar squealed, throwing her arms around Katniss' neck and wriggling in delight as her mother returned the embrace.

"You scared me to death," Katniss chided, her tone firm despite the fact that she stroked the crown of her daughter's head and pressed a kiss to the tip of her nose. "You can't keep doing this, Briar. You could get hurt wandering off on your own."

The child gazed up at her mother silently for a few moments, however, her eyes then shifted sideways, signifying that she was quickly losing interest in the lecture. Briar had garnered somewhat of a reputation around 13 for managing to give her babysitters the slip, and Gale and Katniss had become hard pressed to find anyone brave enough to take on the challenge of their daughter when their presence was required elsewhere. The rebellion was ongoing, shifting through periods of success and loss, and Coin and the district still had great need for Katniss and her skills if they ever hoped to one day rally the survivors from the other districts into some form of an army. Both Katniss and Gale had assumed positions in the military following the second partial destruction of 13, although Katniss primarily worked at training new recruits in weapons handling and survival techniques, whilst Captain Gale Hawthorne was renowned to be the best strategist the district had seen in decades.

"Oh thank heaven," Effie wailed as she trotted towards the Hawthornes, her palm pressed dramatically to her breast as though to still the racing of her heart. "I thought for certain I had lost you this time, my little darling."

Gale affixed Briar with a pointed look that seemed to pass straight over the child's head. Sighing, he tapped her gently on the shoulder and pressed, "Do you have something to say to Effie?"

Briar considered her father's question for several seconds, her features scrunched up into a sober expression. Finally, she sucked in a deep breath and gave a vehement nod.

"Uh huh… can we get a cookie now?" the child demanded, her eyes trained questioningly on Effie's face even as she laced her chubby fingers through the bottom of Katniss' braid.

Katniss rolled her eyes, hoisting the little girl up in her arms as if the terror that had consumed her minutes earlier had not yet quite left her and she still could not bring herself to let go of her daughter. She pressed her cheek to Briar's baby soft skin, and held her close to her chest, wondering yet again how she could ever possibly love anything so much.

Whilst the arrival of her daughter had brought Katniss immense joy, it had also left her with a nagging fear that one day someone might target the child, and a strict embargo was in place that made it illegal for any resident or visitor to District 13 to mention Katniss' private life to the outside world. As far as the other districts were concerned, Katniss was a soldier of the rebellion, the face of their fight. They knew nothing of her other life as a wife and mother, and Coin had been uncharacteristically helpful in ensuring that news of Briar Hawthorne's arrival had not made it past the ears of their district.

"No, what else have you got to say to Effie?" Gale coaxed, trying to correct his daughter and also distract her from wanting a cookie; rations were after all still in effect and didn't often include cookies, even for the daughter of the Mockingjay.

Briar yawned, resting her cheek against her mother's shoulder as she regarded Effie with a sleepy smile that instantly made Effie bite back a grin of her own.

"I'm waiting, young lady," Effie said, arms folded across her chest as she tried her best to look annoyed.

"Sowwy, Effie," Briar finally murmured, grinning as she was rewarded with an affectionate kiss to the top of her head by her adoring father.

"I'm really sorry, Effie," Katniss echoed, wincing as she realised the degree of panic Effie must have suffered. Despite their shaky start, Effie had become a much loved, almost maternal presence in Katniss' life, and from the second Briar had made her appearance in the world, Effie had watched and fussed over the baby with a softness that had surprised all of those around her.

In an even more shocking turn of events, it had become apparent that despite his initial protestations, not only did Haymitch quite like children, he was also an incredibly competent diaper changer and performer of out of tune lullabies.

"Oh, no harm done I suppose," Effie swatted her hand in Katniss' direction, "children will be children."

Haymitch reached out and ruffled the child's dark hair, slinging an arm around Effie as he suggested, "Maybe we could get Beetee to fit her with some sort of tracking device."

"We'll look in to it," Katniss laughed, planting the little girl back on her feet and taking her hand as Gale moved to the child's other side and clasping her other hand in his. Katniss smiled at the sight, watching Briar's tiny fingers curl around Gale's much larger hand. "Okay, we need to get you back to our quarters, little duck."

"Can I play with Buttercup?" Briar asked, her eyes wide with excitement at the prospect.

"After your nap you can," Katniss countered, averting her gaze and grinning to herself as her daughter's face fell into a crestfallen pout.

"Awww! But I'm not tired, Momma!" she protested, her bottom lip sticking out in a well-practiced sulk that Katniss always claimed was a perfect replica of her father's most petulant expression.

"Uncanny," Katniss teased, shooting Gale a pointed glance which he deflected with a playful grin. The tip of her tongue pressed against her top lip as she watched him plead ignorance, and she couldn't help the smile she automatically bestowed upon her husband as he lifted Briar back into his arms and slid his free hand around her waist.

Rolling his eyes, Gale craned his neck and kissed her briefly on the lips, "You kidding me? This kid is all you. Wilful, stubborn, always getting herself into _all kinds_ of trouble…"

Haymitch interjected, suddenly conscious that he and Effie were intruding on a private moment, "We'll see you three later at dinner. If you could refrain from putting us off it, that'd be great."

"Sweet dreams, little one," Effie added softly, reaching up to stroke Briar's cheek.

Haymitch and Effie disappeared down the corridor arm in arm, the latter maintaining a steady stream of chatter now that her charge had been located and all was well once again. Gale and Katniss moved in the opposite direction, heading towards their compartment, with Briar slowly growing limp in her father's arms as exhaustion began to overwhelm her.

Both parents remained silent, exchanging knowing looks as they realised that their daughter would likely be asleep before they had even laid her down on her bed. Sure enough, the child's eyes were closed and her mouth open whilst she snored by the time they had reached the threshold of the doorway to their quarter; what was in effect the Hawthorne family home. Prim and Mrs. Everdeen shared a compartment a short distance away, which was in turn just a stone's throw from the quarter occupied by Hazelle and the remaining Hawthorne children.

Gale moved stealthily towards Briar's bed and carefully laid her sleeping body down on the mattress, pausing to arrange a blanket over her. He brushed a stray strand of hair that had escaped her braids away from her cheek and watched as she let out a sigh in her slumber before curling up onto her side.

"Here," Katniss whispered, handing over a lumpy, grey cloth rabbit to Gale, which he examined with a smirk before tucking into the crook of Briar's arm. The toy had been made for her shortly before her birth by Hazelle, who had been so thrilled at the prospect of meeting her first grandchild that she had destroyed an entire bed sheet in order to produce the gift. Mrs. Everdeen had managed to acquire a needle and thread from medical, but the only available option for stuffing had been more odds and scraps that Hazelle had shredded off the blanket. The result was a pale grey animal with too-saggy ears, an absent cotton tail, and a body that was more bulky than cuddly, but Briar adored her bunny nonetheless.

Quietly and hand in hand, Gale and Katniss slipped into the living area of the quarter, Gale pausing to pull across the flimsy door that separated the two rooms.

"I blame you," Katniss stated, dropping down into a nearby chair and crossing her arms as she regarded Gale. "You encourage her."

"Do not." Gale simply narrowed his eyes and awarded her his most disbelieving expression, which she quickly deflected with a toss of her head.

Raising her arms, Katniss yawed wearily, watching as Gale settled himself on the small sofa and she quickly relocated to join him.

Settled in his arms, her head leaning against his chest, Katniss closed her eyes and sighed contentedly within his embrace. His lips ghosted across her cheek, jaw and finally the curve of her neck, and she reached up blindly to press her palm to his cheek. Gale curled his hand around hers and brushed his lips in the centre of her palm for good measure.

His voice was low and husky as his breath crested the shell of her ear and she shivered at the sensation.

"What about you?" he inquired, smiling against the warmth of her neck, "did _you_ miss me, Catnip?"

"Always," she replied earnestly, despite the fact that Gale had only been gone since the previous evening, leading a team out to test the new electrified border fences they had erected weeks before.

He tried to be away as little as possible, preferring to spend his time with his family rather than leading missions. Gale had managed to secure a position that meant he spent the majority of his working hours in the control centre, and both he and Katniss had barely spent a day apart from Briar since her birth. Their family came above and beyond everything else – the districts, the ongoing war, and even the rebellion itself.

Gale Hawthorne had always longed for a family of his own and he intended to savour every second of their life together. He had learned as a teenager how fragile and unpredictable life could be, and he wanted Briar to have happy memories of her father, should anything ever happen to him. Gale was determined that his daughter would know just how deeply she was loved, and that her mother was quite literally the love of his life.

"Hey, stop thinking like that," Katniss interrupted his rather melancholy reverie, and Gale started suddenly at the intrusion.

"I wasn't…" Gale began, poised to deny the accusation that his thoughts had been anything other than positive, despite the fact that he knew his expression had likely betrayed him.

"Liar," Katniss accused, turning her head to regard her husband. Katniss reached up and pressed her palm against Gale's jaw, and two identical pairs of Seam eyes locked on each other as the couple craned their necks in order to kiss.

When they finally drew apart, Gale paused to smile down at his wife and tuck an errant piece of hair behind her ear. It still amazed him that they had managed to escape the district that had been their prison as well as their home, and he would never stop being grateful that some higher power had seen fit to allow them to remain together.

"I hate to ruin the moment and talk shop," Katniss stated, chewing on her bottom lip as her thoughts drifted back to the latest piece of news buzzing around 13, "but, any news on the Capitol situation?"

Gale's jaw tensed immediately and his eyes hardened, but his arms remained locked gently around his wife, who pressed herself closer to his chest. Although Katniss had never been one to require a knight in shining armour of any kind, Gale's body pressed flush against her own rarely failed to make her feel safe. He was solid and real, her anchor to both sanity and happiness more times than she could recount. She listened to the steady, rhythmic beating of his heart beneath her ear and let out a contented hum, half forgetting the question she had broken the silence with in the first place.

"They buried Snow yesterday and swore in the new president this morning," Gale finally answered, his fingertips trailing up Katniss' arm and coming to rest lightly on her shoulder. "No word yet on who it is but we're working on it."

"Have we got a list of possible successors?" Katniss asked, wondering if this would be a case of 'better the devil you know', or whether the new president would actually prove beneficial to bringing the war to an end, either through political avenues or military inexperience – the districts would be happy to exploit either.

Gale shrugged, "We do, but the information's out of date. Half those guys could be dead by now. Nobody stayed in Snow's favour for long, you know that."

Katniss shuddered unbidden, reflecting on her own encounters with the recently deceased leader. She rested her cheek against Gale's shoulder and breathed in his familiar, comforting scent. Memories of her time as a tribute still caused her the odd sleepless night, but she instead tried to focus on the present and the happy life she had carved out in 13, despite the odds never having truly been in her favour. She certainly had once thought the idea impossible, having refused to contemplate allowing herself to focus on love; and yet it had turned out to be the very thing that had saved her. Gale had saved her and she had saved him – just as it had always been.

Changing the subject, at least temporarily, Gale allowed his chin to rest on the top of her head as he struggled to contain a yawn. "You sleep okay last night?"

Katniss closed her eyes and allowed herself to be lulled by the sensation of his fingertips drifting up and down her arm. She let out a murmur of affirmation in response.

"I came back to check on you both before we ran the test data. You and Briar looked pretty out of it," he smiled at the memory of having crept into their quarters to find his wife and daughter snuggled up together in the centre of their cot bed, both with their heads tilted back, lips parted, and arms wrapped tightly around each other.

The nightmares and resultant insomnia were now much rarer for Katniss, and she had begun to sleep again as she had as a child; carried away in a heavy, peaceful slumber, feeling safe and loved.

"You did?" She opened her eyes slowly to cast a dubious glance up at her husband.

"Well, I know you don't exactly need me to check up on you but I still like to every once in a while," Gale replied, his smile transforming into a smirk as he added, "someone's got to make sure you two stay out of trouble."

"And a fine job you did of that today," Katniss retorted, one eyebrow quirked as she glanced pointedly at her husband. "Seriously Gale, you have to stop letting her get away with things. That kid has practically got you hog tied. She needs to know that no means no, for her own safety."

Gale's expression sobered and he considered Katniss' words seriously for a few moments before nodding.

"I know, you're right," he assuaged, squeezing the top of his wife's arm and dropping a kiss onto the crown of her head, "no more letting her sneak into command, I promise."

Katniss nodded, her expression still troubled despite Gale's assurances. She knew their daughter was headstrong and wilful, two qualities that she ordinarily admired and recognised as having been inherited from her, but she could not help but worry that the little girl would eventually land herself into some kind of trouble that her parents would be incapable of digging her out of.

"I just worry about her," Katniss said, a shiver coursing involuntarily through her body as she continued, "the rebellion isn't over yet, Gale. We both know there's more to come, and if the Capitol knew about Briar…"

"They won't find out," he soothed, pressing his lips to her temple as he held her tightly, "I'll never let anything happen to our daughter, Katniss. You know I'd die before I allowed anyone to hurt her."

Katniss' fingers gripped tighter around his arm, and she tried to curl herself more snugly into his body, "I don't ever want it to come to that, Gale. If I lost you or Briar, I…"

Gale held her close, smiling despite the seriousness of their conversation as he replied through a chuckle.

"I waited six years for you, Catnip. If you think you're getting rid of me now…" his breath ghosted her ear as he whispered playfully, "you're crazy."

She consented to smile, resentfully dissolving into laughter as he planted clumsy kisses across her cheeks and walked his fingers up her sides, making her shiver and recoil.

"Gale! Would you stop?!" she panted, laughing out loud even as she glanced to the screen door toward where Briar slept.

"Not until you lighten up!" he replied, rolling them over until his body rested carefully on top of hers, their fingers interwoven as their hands rested on either side of her head.

"Gale!" she protested half-heartedly, watching as he lifted their joined hands and brushed his lips reverently over the thin silver band on her finger. Precious metals of any kind were a rarity in the districts, and jewellery was a luxury generally reserved for those in the Capitol. But Effie had insisted on it, and had had one of her own brooches melted down to fashion two thin yet perfectly fitting wedding bands – one for Katniss, one for Gale. The ceremony itself had been simple and secret, with only those in President Coin's most trusted circle privy to the details. However, the marriage it had founded far belied its humble start.

"Gale…" but this time his name left her lips in a breath, and the smile that graced her features was telling of only intense love and devotion.

He silenced her finally with a toe-curling kiss and, for once, the Mockingjay willingly surrendered.

**x-x-x**

From the now deserted balcony, he watched as all remnants of the lavish ceremony were swept and cleared away. Coloured streamers were pushed into piles by Avoxes wielding brushes, whilst young children on bended knee scrubbed at the steps of the presidential palace with small brushes and buckets of cleaning fluid. Overhead, the sun began to dip below the horizon, punctuating the end of the day that would be forever marked in his memory. He smiled as he watched it all.

Certainly it had been a long time coming, but he knew beyond all reasonable doubt that the wait would prove worthwhile. He had wheedled his way into Snow's good graces, pranced around the Capitol with a kind of ease that had surprised even himself, and thrown everything he had into truly learning the politics of Panem. He had been there the day Snow had ordered those districts that stood with the Mockingjay to be firebombed, standing by the President's side and watching with baited breath as the hovercrafts rained destruction down on the masses, who he had come to realise truly deserved what was coming to them. Snow would indeed be a tough act to follow, but there was no doubt in his mind that he would be up to the challenge. After all, the President himself had selected his own successor on his deathbed just a month beforehand. The Capitol had been careful to keep everything hush-hush until the very last minute, for fear that the Mockingjay may still have useful contacts. Whilst little had been heard from Katniss Everdeen for the past five years, he was certain that she was still alive, out there somewhere, playing the role of victim as well as she ever had.

Over the years, he had come to realise that every single bad thing that had ever happened to Katniss had been brought down upon her own head by her foolish, deliberately disobedient actions. Life in the districts had never been so bad, if you knew how to play the game and make nice with the Peacekeepers, but Katniss and her ilk had never been known for that. It had taken him a while, but he had finally seen the Mockingjay for what she really was; an anarchist, who cared little for the safety of those in the districts whom she professed to fight for, and everything for making the residents of the Capitol suffer for simply having chosen the right side.

It had been a little over six months since the last broadcast from the adored Mockingjay had hijacked their screens. Though her message remained as strong and determined as ever, in her general demeanour he had noticed a strange softness. He could not guess what had triggered this change, and in all other manners the woman had remained much the same.

The smile that sometimes graced his lips when he saw her would need to be contained – he would not let his former life betray him. None of that had been real anyway, but this- this was real. And everything was now his for the taking.

Running his hands down the edges of his starched white collar, the man stared over the partial ruins of his city with a snarl of defiance. Though construction teams worked tirelessly to restore the buildings and ornate gardens to their former glory, the black smoke marks marred the marble and white stone like the battle scars they were.

Almost a year before, the rebellion had found a way to disable the Capitol's defence systems, and so had begun a night of constant air strikes- an attack the likes of which the city had never seen before. Morale was low, and the incoming president knew that winning over his people was key if they were to finally end the war; public speaking had of course always been a certain skill of his, and where he could not charm he had been taught to destroy.

The rebellion would be quashed and the Capitol would rise again, of that he was certain. Whilst he would rule with the same iron fist that his mentor had favoured, he felt a little public relations work wouldn't go amiss to gain the trust and following of his disillusioned populace.

It shouldn't take much convincing; after all, Peeta Mellark had always been a master at winning over the crowd.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors' Note - May the reviews be ever in our favour. <strong>


	4. The Power of Love

_**Chapter Four**_

_**The Power of Love**_

Food had always been a large part of Katniss' life; acquiring it, preparing it, sharing not enough of it between too many hungry mouths, and truly rare moments of actually getting to enjoy it. The latter had come mostly during Katniss' time in the Capitol, and had been a small consolation for the trials and cruelties she had faced there. For a huge portion of her young adult life, hunting and scavenging for enough food to feed her starving family had been the sole purpose of Katniss' existence, and it almost seemed odd now to have reached a state where food was plentiful.

However, Katniss was simply content with the fact that, in all her four years on Earth, Briar had never once known hunger. Katniss had never dreamed of a Panem in her own lifetime where her child would not experience the sensation of an empty belly, and so she was grateful to 13 for what they were able to provide. Although food was still rationed, the quality and variety of it had vastly improved since Katniss and Gale had first arrived in the District, mostly due to the secret trade agreements that 13 had been able to arrange with Districts 4 and 11 since the rebellion had begun. Although 10 had yet to pledge their allegiance either way, preferring to remain neutral due to the fear the Capitol had instilled in the population, they also sent whatever they could spare in the way of meat.

Sliding into a canteen bench, Katniss turned to hoist Briar onto the seat by her side before affixing a cloth napkin around the child's neck as she waited for Gale to return with their trays. On the menu that evening was a simple turkey broth, steamed vegetables and a small wholemeal bread roll, which was always the first item that Briar would devour. Once a week, the kitchen staff managed to scrape together something that resembled a dessert course, usually on a Saturday evening. This had become Briar's favourite day of the week, and she usually counted down the days with great anticipation. The hours beforehand were spent interrogating her parents as to what they thought that night's dessert may be.

Briar Hawthorne sat impatiently on the bench, swinging her little legs to and fro as her bright grey eyes followed her father's figure across the room, as though sheer will could hurry him along.

"I'm hungwy, Mommy," Briar whined, huffing impatiently before she once again checked on her father's progress.

"I know, baby, but Daddy's almost done," Katniss assured her, glancing down as the little girl leaned her head against her torso and wrapped her arms around her mother's arm, though her eyes were not once drawn from the dinner line.

Katniss smiled fondly at her child, reaching out to stroke her cheek before she too allowed her eyes to rest on Gale's imposing form. Keeping a restraining hand on Briar's leg, she propped her chin in her free hand, and watched Gale chat to the canteen staff with his usual ease and sincerity.

Gale Hawthorne was well respected by the men under his command and liked by the residents of the district, who appreciated his strength, loyalty, and innate kindness. Seeing him through their eyes never failed to make Katniss thankful for having Gale in her life, and she couldn't imagine a more devoted or adoring husband and father.

Of course Gale was also particularly handsome- another factor which had obviously not gone unnoticed by his young wife, or indeed some of the other female citizens of District 13. Sometimes, it almost felt to Katniss like being back in school, where she was forced to clamour for Gale's attention alongside a crowd of hormonal and overly excitable teenage girls. Nothing could have been further from the truth really, but even the Mockingjay was prone to the occasional bouts of insecurity and self-doubt.

As Gale finally began to leave the line and head in the direction of their table, Briar heaved an audible sigh of relief. She bounced in her seat in anticipation and Katniss gently squeezed her knee as a reminder to sit patiently and wait.

Gale placed Briar's tray down first, succeeding in finally coaxing a smile from the little girl, who had woken from her nap unusually crotchety. Her mood had meant that Katniss had been able to achieve little in the way of work for the rest of the afternoon. Instead they had visited the medical wing, where Prim and Mrs. Everdeen had been taking inventory and Briar had been allowed to practice counting packages of bandages. She could never get past 30 but there was very little that could steal the joy from a visit to Grandma and Auntie Prim.

"What do you say?" Katniss reminded her daughter pointedly as she grabbed at her bread roll without a word, her eyes wide with anticipation.

"Thank you…" she finally mumbled from around a mouthful of bread. Shaking her head in a mixture of despair and amusement, Katniss surreptitiously slid her own roll onto Briar's tray. Their daughter had a healthy appetite and could easily have managed double the child size portions that the canteen workers saw fit to provide her with. Katniss, having grown up in the cold shadow of hunger for most of her life, could never stand to see Briar denied something that she was able to provide, and so she often found herself sharing portions of her own meal with the little girl. Besides, she had lost her taste for bread during recent years.

"Catnip…" Gale chided quietly, eyebrow arched at his wife, who only smiled back in response.

He opened his mouth as though to say more, no doubt poised to scold Katniss further, when the large television hanging from the centre of the ceiling suddenly burst into life with a picture of the Capitol emblem emblazoned in the centre of the screen. A deathly hush naturally fell over the canteen, and Gale and Katniss exchanged glances. Briar simply continued eating, finding the messages relayed from the funny looking people in the 'bad place' usually to be rather dull and uninteresting.

The regular fanfare assaulted their ears and the patriotic image of the Panem flag blowing in the breeze filled the screen. Then slowly but surely, the camera panned to the expansive presidential office. With an embarrassing degree of dramatic flair that reminded Katniss of her own regular brushes with TV broadcasting, the camera focused on a solitary figure standing with one hand on the white marble fireplace with his back facing the audience.

With a decisive air, the man turned suddenly and the audience were greeted by their new president, who carried himself with a stoic yet stately demeanor that befitted his surroundings.

Katniss felt like all the air in the room had suddenly disappeared, and her head began to swim as she gazed at the screen with a sickly recognition.

"Oh my God…" she breathed, her eyes wide and conveying the same level of shock that her fellow diners exhibited themselves.

"_Peeta_?"

As the new master of Panem began to speak, Katniss lost her grip on the fork in her hand and it fell against her tray with a metallic clang.

Gale's complexion visibly paled, and he found himself immediately afraid to meet his wife's gaze for fear of the emotion he might find scrawled across her features. Although Katniss had never given him reason to believe that he meant anything other than the world to her, for the past eight years Gale had felt as though he were living slightly in the shadow of fear that resulted from Peeta's existence in the Capitol. Gale was acutely aware that he had not shared the experience of the Games with Katniss and that, despite the depths of his feelings for his wife, he could never truly understand what she had gone through to simply survive. He was her constant and her comfort whenever she would wake in the night, still haunted by the faces of those she had killed or those who had stalked her intent on murder, but Gale had not been _there _and Peeta had. For that, he would never truly forgive himself.

A successive attempt to rescue the other tributes from the Capitol had been made not long after Gale had left the hospital wing following his surgery. Both Katniss and Gale had been banned from the mission by Plutarch, much to the relief of their families. The ten men who had volunteered for the mission had never returned home and just a few days later, spurred on by information likely fed to them by their new hostages, the Capitol had launched its most vicious attack on 13 since the rebellion had begun. Hovercrafts and stockpiled weapons had been destroyed along with several areas of the underground District. Men, women and children had lost their lives in countless numbers. The Everdeen and Hawthorne families were among those spared, having reached the shelters quickly after the siren had first sounded. Plutarch and Boggs had not been quite so fortunate, and with their deaths the rebellion had been dealt another, significant blow.

Several days of intense bombing had ended as abruptly as it had begun. Coin, emotionally destroyed by the atrocities and losses that had been inflicted upon her people, had not thought twice before retaliating. Hovercrafts loaded with the majority of their remaining weaponry had been deployed to the Capitol, and weapons munitions factories had been blown to smithereens.

It had been difficult but, whilst Katniss had been trying to harden her heart to the violence that occurred around her, images of Peeta, smiling and well as he followed in Snow's footsteps like a lap dog, had suddenly started to dominate the Capitol transmissions. Any surviving shreds of loyalty and concern that Katniss had once felt for her friend, the boy with the bread, had been well and truly obliterated.

"Citizens of Panem," Peeta stated, his tone ringing authoritatively as he addressed the camera directly, a half smile playing across his lips, "today marks the dawning of a new era."

The whispers and hisses passed between the tables of diners suddenly gave way to an eerie kind of hush, and even Briar directed her attention to the screen. She tugged at Gale's sleeve, her expression curious.

"Who's that man, Daddy?" Briar demanded, her voice echoing around the room. Every pair of eyes were suddenly focused on the Mockingjay, and Katniss felt the bile rising in the back of her throat. She gripped the edge of the table, struggling to regulate her own breathing and retain the calm, collected air that had come to be expected of her. From across the room, Coin gazed at her through sympathetic eyes.

"He's nobody, little duck. Nobody you need to be worried about, okay?" Katniss reassured her daughter, watching as Briar took a moment to digest the information before she bit into her second bread roll.

Gale leaned down, brushing a kiss to the top of his daughter's head, and she grinned through a mouthful of food, oblivious to the tension in the room.

Katniss' thoughts quickly drifted to the ramifications of the situation; they would have to respond in kind to the transmission to show a united front against the new face of the Capitol's dictatorship. Her former 'relationship' with Peeta would likely bring her under intense scrutiny from the leaders of the rebel aligned Districts, but her greatest fear was that Peeta's fight against the rebellion might now become personal.

Shaking herself from her reverie, Katniss returned her eyes to the screen. She reached blindly around Briar's back and sought out Gale's hand, and he wordlessly enclosed it within his own.

Peeta appeared to have breezed through the pleasantries of his broadcast, and had set about establishing and announcing the plans he had for the city, and for the fractured, warring country he had inherited.

"I know these are dark times for us all. I grieve for your losses, and I am truly sorry that so many of you have fallen under the thrall of a young woman who would see you all suffer for her own foolish ends. I…" he paused for dramatic effect and cast his eyes momentarily to the ground, "I thought I knew Katniss Everdeen, but I was taken in just as all of you have been- taken in by her lies and self-serving defiance. I will do my best to help you, to return this country to its former glory. To restore order and peace once more so that we may all live in harmony, with the Capitol restored to its rightful place at the heart of this land. But do not mistake my compassion for weakness; the rebellion will be defeated, make no mistake. This plague of willful defiance will be swept from the landscape, by any force _I_ deem necessary."

A wave of hushed voices crested over the room and Katniss watched the expressions of those assembled turn swiftly from shock to renewed anger. If Peeta was lacking one particular leadership skill, it was political savvy. He had never lived as the people surrounding Katniss had lived; as she and her family once had – starving, afraid, and facing a future filled with uncertainties. He could never understand how it felt to be at the bottom of the food chain- oppressed and terrorised into submission.

"But…" he continued, "there is one way we can bring this terrible, terrible situation to an end without further loss of life on either side."

The camera panned closer to this face, and his expression darkened significantly as he demanded, "Surrender the Mockingjay."

Katniss' mouth dropped open and she felt the blood drain from her face. In an instant, her worst fears had been confirmed and she was no longer under any illusions that Peeta's speech was about the rebellion or even Panem - it was about her, even after so many years had elapsed.

"As of today, there is a reward offered to whomsoever can provide information or assistance that leads to the capture of Katniss Everdeen. Think of your family, think of your children, think of yourselves. Is this any way to live? You know what you have to do. A full pardon will be granted to each rebelling District, so long as the Mockingjay is delivered to me."

Gale was on his feet almost immediately, his features contorted with rage as he stared at the screen with unbridled hatred.

"Son of a bitch…" he snarled, momentarily forgetting himself and the presence of his child.

"Gale…" Katniss warned, casting a meaningful glance down at their daughter, who was peering up at her father with a distinct air of confusion surrounding her. Gale immediately slipped his mask of composure back into place, shooting Briar an apologetic smile.

The room had erupted into a steady stream of loud and disruptive chatter, and Katniss could barely hear herself think in the resultant din. She raked her hands through her hair, hardly caring that she was half destroying her usual braid in the process, causing hair to escape its confines in unruly handfuls.

She barely noticed Effie and Haymitch join them, the former distracting Briar with animated conversation whilst the latter spoke quietly in Gale's ear. Katniss watched with a strange sense of detachment washing over her as her old mentor whispered to her husband, and Gale's jaw tensed in fury at whatever Haymitch had seen fit to tell him. There was a sudden darkness present in his eyes that Katniss recognised immediately from their time back in District 12; it had been the same look that had overtaken him when he had dragged Prim away from her on the day of the reaping, and when he had been bound to the whipping post for interfering with the Peacekeepers' attempt to beat down their friends. The next thing Katniss knew, Gale's arm was sliding through hers and he was leading her towards the canteen exit, which Coin had already started out towards with purpose in her eyes.

"Coin's calling an emergency meeting," Gale mumbled, hating that every pair of eyes in the room was now focused on his wife.

Katniss nodded, watching as other key members of military personnel rose from their seats and followed behind them. Silence fell over the canteen and suddenly only the voices of young children were audible. The screen on the wall had long since grown dark and the insignia of District 13 had replaced Peeta's hardened features, but many still continued to stare at the monitor as though haunted by what they had just witnessed.

Slipping her arm free of Gale's, Katniss instead reached for his hand, interlocking their fingers so tightly that her knuckles whitened.

They continued through the hallways until they reached the control room, but Gale's finger stilled over the keypad and he instead turned to face the woman beside him.

Gale lifted their joined hands to his chest, forcing Katniss to hold his gaze. The fear he saw reflected in her eyes made his heart ache and only served to remind him of times that he had thought long past.

"I will never let him hurt you," he promised, widening his eyes to communicate the sincerity behind his vow.

Katniss nodded, glancing through the reinforced glass in the door to check for observers, before she lifted herself on tip toe and snatched a brief kiss.

"We've got work to do," she stated, her tone all business as her fear for her family overcame her and a steely resolve settled across her features. She tapped in the code that would open the door to command and marched ahead, Gale following in her wake, ever the watchful presence. They moved past monitors and work stations, straight to the back of the room, where several doorways that led to meeting rooms were positioned. The door to the largest room was ajar and Katniss could see uniformed men and women sliding into chairs behind the table, grave expressions affixed on their faces.

Coin and her advisers were already positioned around the large oval table, and Gale felt the eyes of General Finch upon him before he had even stepped fully into the briefing room being used to accommodate the meeting. He threw his hand up in a half-hearted salute, his usual diligence effected somewhat by the images that had just been relayed from the Capitol. The General nodded nonetheless, willing to overlook Captain Hawthorne's uncharacteristic sloppiness on account of the shock still dominating the young man's features.

"Please sit down," Coin insisted, gesturing to two empty chairs positioned at the bottom of the table. Katniss swallowed hard and wordlessly obeyed, settling onto the edge of her chair and laying her hands palm side down on the surface of the table. Gale deliberately brushed his shoulder against hers, a silent reminder of his proximity and support.

"I want to thank you all for coming here at such short notice," Coin began, pausing as she directed a look at Katniss, "and I want to assure you that the new president's demands will be treated by all in District 13 with as much disdain as his predecessor's."

"I need to go on the air," Katniss blurted out, forgoing any formalities or debate, "the Districts need to see us respond."

Coin surveyed those seated around the table, finding that each one nodded their agreement; all except for Gale, who remained still and silent.

"Captain Hawthorne?" Coin roused him from his thoughts, arching an eyebrow as she leaned her hand on the table and awaited his opinion.

Katniss turned to regard her husband, almost sensing his objection to putting her in the public eye and, perhaps more importantly, the eye of the Capitol and its crazed new leader.

But when Gale lifted his head to speak, she found him instead agreeing with her.

"We need to assemble the leaders of the allied Districts. If Katniss goes on air, she can't be seen to stand alone. We're not the only ones in this fight, and we're not the only ones who stand to lose everything if the Capitol win this damn war."

Katniss offered her husband a small, fragile smile of thanks before she turned back to their own leader, her decision set.

"I'll do whatever you need, under one condition," she stated, licking her lips as she waited for Coin to respond.

The older woman's mouth twisted into a weary yet understanding smile as she regarded her Mockingjay; the girl she had actually grown quite fond of over time.

"There's always a condition, Katniss," she replied, nodding as she added, "name it and as usual we'll do our best to accommodate."

Katniss gulped, her fear suddenly discernible in her body language as her hands began to tremble.

"I need to know that the Capitol won't find out about Briar," she said, shooting a glance at Gale, who returned her concerned look. "More so than ever now, if they know about her, she'll become a weapon to use against me."

"That's always been a concern of ours, Katniss," Coin replied, her eyes softening as she regarded the worried young mother, and recalled when she had been the very same. "As always, we will do our best to ensure that doesn't happen."

Katniss shook her head, silencing Coin suddenly as she interjected, "If he finds out, I need to know that I'll be allowed to do whatever it takes to… to make sure they can't hurt her."

President Coin narrowed her eyes thoughtfully and folded her arms across her chest as she regarded the Mockingjay. "Are you talking about assassinating the president of Panem, Katniss?"

Katniss shrugged, her thoughts firmly settled on her young daughter as her jaw set in determination, "If it comes down to that, then yes. I am."

Coin inhaled slowly, her tone uncertain as she queried, "And are you sure you would be capable of that? Given your… complicated _history _with Peeta Mellark?"

The president stared at the girl intently, recalling how desperate Katniss had been to keep Peeta alive upon first arriving in the District. She wasn't sure exactly how much of the Capitol love story had been fabricated, nor did she doubt Katniss' affection for her husband, but she knew that she would need to be certain that if it should come down to it, Katniss would not hesitate. Just one second of misplaced mercy could cost the Mockingjay her life, and thus bring down the entire rebellion in the process.

Katniss' expression darkened and she cast a fleeting glance at Gale, who had averted his gaze to the floor. The fact that he was still so obviously unnerved by Peeta's presence, however sinister it may be, made Katniss unspeakably angry; angry at the Capitol for forcing her to lie from the very beginning that she had felt anything for Peeta other than indifference or at the very most, friendship.

"This is my daughter we're talking about. You better believe I'd take the shot," Katniss snarled, suddenly climbing to her feet as if declaring the meeting at an end. She paused to regard the men assembled around the table, her voice cold as she ordered, "Make the necessary arrangements."

Turning on her heel with a confidence that she did not feel, Katniss strode out of the meeting room, her arms swinging at her sides as though she were headed towards some as of yet decided purpose. Once she emerged in the corridor outside of the command centre, she continued walking until she had rounded the corner and reached a section of hallway that had been closed off with a metal gate. It had once led to the old school rooms, which had been obliterated by the Capitol bombing, thankfully outside of school hours. The corridor now served as a dead end, leading nowhere, and was thus never usually occupied by anything other than the rats that scurried around 13 occasionally. Finally, Katniss' shoulders slumped and she slid down the hard, stone wall, ignoring the jagged rocks that stuck into her lower back and spine.

Her head dropped into her hands and Katniss sucked in a deep breath, before finally yanking the elastic band out of her ruined braid and allowing her hair to fall around her shoulders. As her hair fell forward in a curtain that obscured her face, Katniss felt her bottom lip tremble, threatening an onslaught of tears that she gritted her teeth against. She would not cry. The Capitol had stolen enough tears from her to last a lifetime, and she was determined they would have no more.

"Katniss?"

She heard Gale whisper her name only seconds before she felt his hands rest either side of her head, and then she found her face being gently inclined upwards towards his.

"I'm okay," she replied instinctively, the trembling of her hands suggesting otherwise.

"No, you're not," he said simply, crouching down in front of her and sweeping his eyes over her face.

Katniss opened her mouth to make a feeble attempt to argue, yet even as she tried to muster the strength to protest, she found herself dissolving into a series of heaving sobs. Gale enveloped her in his arms, his hand curving around the back of her neck as he clutched her to his chest and allowed her to cry as he knew she needed to; without words, without judgement, without well-meaning platitudes.

Katniss gripped the sleeve of his shirt, lifting her tear streaked face to meet his, "If anything happens to me, Gale, promise me that you and Briar…"

Gale shook his head and silenced her quickly by pressing his lips to hers. He kissed her hard until he felt her surrender into his body, hoping that he could force her mind to give up the morbid tangent.

Drawing back only for a moment, Katniss slid her hand around the back of Gale's neck and dragged him closer, this time initiating a kiss that rendered them both breathless.

Gale scattered kisses across her cheeks and temple, drawing her closer as he replied firmly, "I've loved you since I was 14 years old and I'm gonna love you until I'm 104… that was the deal, remember?"

"I remember," Katniss whispered, her features alive with a sincere smile as she recalled the plans they had made years before for a life together; a life after the war had ended, with a cottage in the woods and green meadows where they could watch their children play.

"We will win this," Gale stated, his tone hard and cold, and leaving no room for argument. Katniss only nodded, waiting for Gale to seat himself at her side before she rested her head on his shoulder and let out a sigh. She felt a kind of quiet peace descend around them, and she wondered if it was the calm before the storm that people so often talked about.

With their hands intertwined in Katniss' lap, the couple sat in complete silence, allowing the minutes to tick by uninterrupted, their thoughts concentrated on the sudden uncertainty of their future.

Finally, Katniss broke the stillness, her voice quivering tellingly as she inquired, "Gale, do you… I mean, you know how much I love you, right?"

"Of course, Catnip," he replied, inclining his head in order to place a soft kiss in the centre of her dark waves. She closed her eyes momentarily, stealing a breath before she pressed on.

"What do you think happened to him?" she asked, her voice quiet and bearing an undertone of bewilderment, "why would he make that kind of choice? Betray his family, his District… his friends?"

Gale mulled over her question, scanning the dark corridor before he shook his head, unable to comprehend the possible answer to her question. Nothing could have made him betray his family; family was everything and it was unimaginable to Gale to have made the same choice that Peeta apparently had. Gale would rather die than betray those who loved him.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, "I can't imagine choosing the Capitol... playing their sick games and enjoying it the way he seems to. But… but I guess we don't know what he went through."

Katniss studied his face intently, grinning despite the seriousness of their current predicament as she recognised the doubt and insincerity written there.

"Or…" she punched him playfully on the arm, "you can tell me what you really think."

Gale laughed, shaking his head as he realised it was futile to ever try to get anything past his wife.

"Or… the guy's always had it in him and we were all too taken in by the easy smiles and mild-mannered act he put on for the Capitol. Peeta's a showman, Katniss. He knows how to work an audience, and that makes him dangerous." He paused, sighing heavily as he added, "Not to mention the fact he was in love with you. Probably still is."

"I don't think you need to worry about that, Gale," Katniss replied, rolling her eyes as she scoffed, "he pretty much just asked the entire country for my head on a platter. That's not usually a big turn on for a girl."

"You know what I mean," Gale replied, his tone serious despite the teasing smile that Katniss wore in an effort to lighten the mood. "He's used to calling the shots now. Whatever the president of Panem wants, he gets. You better believe he wants you in the Capitol for a reason."

"Oh I do," Katniss countered, her expression suddenly growing somber again as she regarded her husband, "he knows that the only way to end this rebellion, this war, is to make an example of me. We both know what my fate will be if I end up in the Capitol, Gale."

Gale fell silent, swallowing hard as his wife's words reverberated almost painfully in his ears, the truth behind them seizing his heart in a vice like grip.

"I'm not afraid of Peeta or the Capitol," Katniss said, pushing her hair behind her ears and sighing, "but I'm afraid for you, and for our family. Sometimes I wonder if it wouldn't be better to just give them what they want if it means you'd all be safe."

Gale's expression became incredulous, and his tone was tainted with anger as he climbed to his feet and held his hand out to her, "Seriously, Katniss? You'd throw all of this away? The life we have together? Our daughter? She needs you. She needs her mother. _I need you_…"

Katniss accepted his outstretched hand and climbed to her feet, feeling instantly ashamed of herself for the panic stricken look playing across Gale's features.

"You know I wouldn't," she amended softly, cupping his jaw and directing his eyes to hers, "when have I ever given up?! You know me better than that, Gale. You know me better than anyone."

Gale wordlessly reached out and pulled her into an embrace that was perhaps more for his own comfort than for hers.

"There's so much more to lose this time," Katniss murmured fearfully, holding on to Gale with the same ferocity that he held her.

She closed her eyes as she pressed her face into the warm skin of his neck, and his hands swept comforting circles across her back. His breath drifted across her cheek as he lowered his head to her ear, his tone suddenly certain and resolved.

"But so much more to _fight_ for."


	5. Lies, Deception and Half Truths

_**Chapter F**__**ive**_

_**Lies, Deception and Half Truths**_

Gleeful laughter echoed down the usually somber and dark hallways as Gale Hawthorne headed toward the medical wing of District 13 with his four year old daughter tucked securely under his arm.

Briar squealed with delight from her horizontal position in her father's arms, and she shrieked with renewed amusement every time he pretended to almost drop her.

"Daddy, again!" she demanded, dark brown plaits dangling as she was carried carefully toward their destination, where she was to spend the afternoon with her grandmother and the person she perhaps loved most after her parents - her Aunt Prim.

Setting the little girl down on her feet, Gale bent down to speak to her, his blue-grey eyes boring in to her identical orbs in a gentle demand to be listened to.

"Now Briar, you need to stay with Grandma and Aunt Prim. No wandering off!" he said kindly but firmly, "you stay with them until Mommy and I come to get you later on, okay?"

"Okay Daddy," she bobbed her head obediently, "I'll stay with Aunt Pwim."

"That's my girl," he smiled adoringly at his daughter, pressing a kiss against her cheek before lifting her into his arms and blowing a raspberry against her skin that made her giggle and loop her arms around his neck.

Briar landed clumsy kisses against his cheek and hugged him tightly, feeling all at once less excited about leaving her father, no matter how much she enjoyed spending time with her aunt.

"Daddy, can I stay with you and Mommy?" she asked hopefully, and Gale lifted her into his arms and stood up, strolling slowly toward the entrance to the medical wing with Briar on his hip.

"We talked about this, Briar," Gale replied, hiding an amused smile behind a stern expression, "Mommy and I are going to be busy this afternoon."

"Doing grown up stuff?" Briar checked, a frown twisting her rosebud lips downwards.

With a nod, Gale replied, "That's right. Lots of important grown up stuff."

Seeming satisfied, Briar allowed Gale to place her on her feet and grasped his hand, her little fingers weaving around his.

"Hi Gale... I mean, Captain Hawthorne..."

Gale and Briar simultaneously turned at the familiar sounding female voice, the former smiling kindly as he recognised Mona, one of the newer refugees from District 6 who had been assigned to the medical wing under Mrs. Everdeen's tutelage. As a recovering Morphling addict, Mona had been cast out of her district during the uprising that had occurred when the residents had decided to band together to make an effort to turn the ailing district around. A number of addicts and recovering addicts had been forcibly expelled from the district, some finding themselves welcomed in other surrounding districts and placed into rehabilitation programs, whilst others less fortunate were picked up by the Capitol hovercrafts. Mona was one of several who had manage to make their way to 13, and had expressed a desire to help at the heart of the rebellion. Many of the residents of 13 eyed the relative newcomers with unease and distrust, but Gale found himself pitying them, realising that it was a life-changing experience to find yourself forcibly expelled from your home.

"Gale is fine," he replied, his tone gentle as the willowy blonde wrung her hands apparently nervously. She offered him a smile, her eyes sparkling at his sudden and welcome attention.

"Daddy, I want Aunt Pwim," Briar stated, scowling at Mona, who ignored the child, continuing to gaze up at Gale.

"H-how are you?" Mona inquired shyly, her hands dropping to toy with the hem of the hospital apron she wore over her grey smock and shirt. Briar's brow creased and she glared at Mona, her dislike of the woman evident.

"Daddy!" Briar whined, her tone alerting Gale to the fact that she was several seconds away from a full meltdown.

"Briar, remember your manners, okay?" Gale chided gently, staring pointedly at the child who huffed a heavy hearted sigh and bobbed her head in obedience.

"I'm sorry, we're in kind of a hurry," Gale offered the woman a polite smile, and she beamed back at him to show no offence had been taken.

"So you're working here now?" he asked, hoping his surprise at her designated post had not coloured his tone of voice.

He wasn't certain that placing a recovering Morphling addict as a nurse's aide was perhaps the smartest decision, but then he knew how the administration of District 13 worked, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was a test of the young woman's willpower and desire to stay clean.

"Uh yeah. I mean...Yes," she corrected herself, her hands grasping nervously at the straps on her apron. Her gaze was suddenly drawn by the small child at the soldier's side, and she watched as the little girl hugged her arms around her father's leg in a gesture that seemed oddly territorial for one so tiny.

Mona cast her eyes analytically over the child, and she quirked an eyebrow as she gestured to her with the warmest smile she could muster, "She looks a lot like you."

Gale grinned automatically in response, always delighted to hear that his features or mannerisms were easily discernible in his adored daughter, no matter his own views on the subject.

Reaching down to place his hand atop of Briar's head, his smile only widened as she stared up at him with equal adoration; and more than a little impatience.

"This little beauty?" he began, as a wistful look overcame him and he found his thoughts drifting, as they were prone to do, to the woman he had fallen in love with all those years ago. He shook his head slowly, lifting Briar's chin and stroking his thumb down her chubby cheek, "No. She's all her Momma."

Mona had barely opened her mouth to respond when Briar suddenly let out a loud gasp and propelled herself clear across the room, her arms flung wide and a squeal spilling from her lips. She ran straight into the outstretched arms of a familiar tall, blonde woman, who flung herself onto her knees to greet the child.

"There's my little one!" Primrose said, her voice filled with warmth and exaggerated excitement as she allowed Briar to melt into her waiting arms.

"I missed you, Auntie Pwim," Briar cried, her features illuminated by the strength of her smile, which was the widest it had been all day since waking.

"Well, I missed you too, of course," Prim returned, straightening up and extending her hand to Briar, who latched onto her aunt's fingers immediately. Prim started over towards Gale, her smile only slightly dampened down as she moved to greet her brother in law.

"What about me? Did you miss me?" Gale teased, unable to resist the opportunity and knowing that Prim was still too good natured to ever be fazed by friendly teasing.

Prim only grinned, shaking her head as she bent to stage whisper to Briar, "Don't tell Daddy that I missed you the most, okay?"

Solemnly, Briar nodded, although a thoroughly pleased smile wound its way onto her lips as she regarded her father and aunt in turn.

Mona, who had yet to move from the spot in front of Gale, cast a wary glance in Prim's direction before adjusting her apron in an almost self conscious gesture.

"I guess I better get back to work," she said quietly, her eyes raised momentarily to Gale as she added, "maybe I'll s-see you later, Gale."

Gale and Primrose exchanged pointed glances, and he shot his sister in-law a reassuring look that told her he had not been blind to Mona's slightly love-sick demeanour.

Hooking his thumb back in the direction of the hallway he had just walked down, Gale offered her a polite smile, "I should get back to my wife."

Mona's smile faltered, not going unnoticed by Gale, who had pointedly chosen the more evocative word of 'wife' over using Katniss' name.

"Right," Mona nodded, shrinking back as Primrose swept up the giggling Briar and began to pepper her cheek with kisses, "I should... I should get back to organising the store cupboard."

Primrose watched the young nursing assistant with interest, noting that she had made no attempt to move. Hoisting her niece up into her arms in a subconsciously protective gesture, she made a mental note to keep a closer eye on the new arrival.

"Be good for Aunt Prim, okay?" Gale widened his eyes as he gazed down at his daughter, and she nodded solemnly in reply.

"I pwomise, Daddy," she continued to nod her head emphatically, grinning from ear to ear as her father bent his head to kiss her cheek,.

"Love you, ladybug," Gale said softly, finding her miniature smile infectious.

"Love you too, Daddy," Briar whispered, although her childish attempt at a whisper was comically loud enough for all to discern.

With a final backward glance, Gale strode from the medical wing, leaving the double doors gently swinging behind him as he disappeared down the corridor. He knew that the leaders of the other districts had already arrived and were doubtlessly waiting for him in the larger of the conference rooms, and he subconsciously quickened his pace as he realised that he would probably be the last one to arrive.

As it happened, he slid into his seat next to Katniss only moments before Coin meandered into the room, her white hair pulled back in a tight bun and a clipboard clutched in her hands. Her smile was fleeting and pinched, and she did not bother to occupy her own usual seat at the head of the table, instead choosing to stand in front of the large monitor that was affixed to the wall adjacent to the door.

"I want to thank you all for being here at such short notice," President Coin began, pausing to nod at each of the faces seated around the table in turn. "I know it's no easy feat, given the times we're in."

Gale started as he felt a small hand slowly and shyly slip underneath his, and he glanced to the side to find Katniss peering at him, her slate grey eyes wide. Reassuringly, he squeezed her fingers, a silent gesture of support and understanding, before he turned back to regard the president.

"We were hoping that coming together today will enable us to share valuable intel. gathered by the rebellion spanning the districts, as well as perhaps come up with a strategy to deal with the new presidents more... interesting demands," Coin continued, her eyes sliding surreptitiously to Katniss as she spoke the latter half of her explanation.

From around the table, the leaders of Districts 4, 6 and 11 all exchanged pointed glances, and Gale watched their faces closely to try to discern their views on the rather pressing matter at hand.

The leader of District 11, a large, imposing dark skinned man offered Katniss a friendly smile, and he waved his hand as if to dismiss the demands of President Mellark as nothing more than an inconvenience.

His voice was rich and deep, and he chuckled in mild amusement as he spoke.

"We intend to treat the demands of the new President in much the same way we did the last. They are... inconsequential to the folks in our district. As always, Madam President..." he nodded at Coin and then turned his gaze to the Mockingjay, "Katniss... our loyalties remain with you and the rebellion."

Katniss returned his smile with genuine appreciation, knowing that her brief and yet very real friendship with Rue had cemented a true, unyielding alliance between their districts. District 13 had no truer allies than her comrades in 11 and that seemed unlikely to change.

"Thank you," Katniss spoke softly, watching with relief as the other two leaders nodded in agreement.

Gale felt Katniss slowly relax, and the vice like grip on his hand subsided a little. He brushed his thumb over her fingertips, finding her hand was now devoid of the band on her wedding finger. He too had hastily removed his own ring, depositing it carefully in his breast pocket for safekeeping. As far as the other districts were concerned, Gale was simply Katniss' bodyguard and head of security, and it was a role he had learned to play out of necessity.

The private life of the Mockingjay could be used to exploit her, and Coin and the inner circle of District 13 went to great lengths to depict Katniss Everdeen as nothing but a soldier and the face of the rebellion.

"So far we know very little about President Mellark's plans other than what he chose to reveal to us in his recent broadcast," Coin said, her tone sour as she turned to face the monitor at her back. Immediately, a serious of typed notes appeared on the screen and Gale felt Katniss straighten up in her seat at his side.

"We're currently working off the assumption that he is using this time to regroup," Coin explained, a frown twitching at her lips as she continued, "Snow's death, whilst not wholly unexpected, came at a difficult time for the Capitol. They're still in the process of rebuilding and their current recruitment numbers for Peacekeepers are at an all time low. No doubt Mellark will make their dwindling military numbers a priority."

Katniss shifted in her seat, her eyes glued to the screen as she watched a summary of Coin's words swirl into being there. She fought the urge to shudder, unwilling to admit even to herself that the sight of Peeta as the new head of the Capitol had unnerved her.

During the Games, he had been her biggest ally and her last link to home. She had believed that they had forged an unbreakable friendship in the heat of the battle and the midst of the blood that had been shed, and yet the man had turned his back so easily on her all those years ago. Katniss found herself wondering just how much of the boy he had presented to her had been a lie, and just what she could bring to the table in regards to information on Peeta.

"Our people on the inside would agree, I think," the woman from District 4 confirmed with a subtle nod of her head. "Rumour has it that Mellark is pushing through a conscription law. We believe that if it goes ahead without much opposition, they'll be opening a new training centre to deal with the sudden influx of new recruits."

"Conscription law?" Gale repeated, taking a moment to digest this information before he continued on, "not exactly going to make him Mr. Popularity with the Capitol and Districts 1 and 2. That's a pretty dangerous move from a new President."

"He doesn't care," Katniss said quietly, and all eyes were suddenly drawn to the young woman as she lifted her gaze from the table top and regarded them all in turn, "this isn't about popularity, he doesn't care about winning them over any more. This is about revenge. Against the rebels... me... and the Capitol. This is about power, he's taking back control."

President Coin nodded before resting her chin on the tip of her clasped palms and eyeing each of the assembled leaders in turn.

"She's right. This is personal, which makes Mellark perhaps even more dangerous than his predecessor."

Gale leant back in his seat, casting a concerned gaze on his wife before he met the eyes of the President, "But that's gotta work against him too, right? He's an unknown variable right now to the folks in the Capitol. They're war weary, they're beaten down, and this guy's too arrogant to realise that now's not the time to quit playing to the crowd. He starts issuing executive orders and drafting kids, there's gonna be an uprising. And we've got the one thing he hasn't; an alliance, a common cause."

Katniss stared down at the wooden table before her, her thoughts muddied with images of reapings and the bloodied faces of children too young to have ever been thrust into such horror. Peeta had been taken from his home, at the time, an innocent in the Capitol's power play with the districts. But now the tables had turned; for 75 years the Capitol had taken the nation's children, and now he would take theirs.

The leader from District 4 smiled briefly at his summation, before she gestured toward the woman beside him and noted with an arched brow how the young soldier's eyes were never far from her pretty face.

"And of course, Captain Hawthorne, you forget to mention the most powerful weapon in this rebellion. We have the Mockingjay. Defectors from the Capitol are already arriving in our District. Katniss has made quite an impression on young minds these last few years."

Katniss seemed disturbed at the notion, still intensely hating the role she played in calling young people to arms, and placing them and their families in increased danger. The country was at war, but she was loathed to be the catalyst that summoned anyone to their death. Video footage from the districts frequently showed casualties of Capitol bombing raids that were now limited to the few districts that remained within the reach of the government's dwindling arsenal. Men, women, and children - all victims, and all weighing heavily on Katniss' conscience.

Briar's smiling face quickly invaded her thoughts, and she found herself wondering if her tiny daughter would ever know a life outside of the bunkers and military drills into which she had been born.

Gale's hand slipped discretely over his wife's, and she glanced up sharply to meet his gaze and offered him a watery smile of reassurance.

"So..." the leader from District 11 folded his arms across his chest and widened his eyes in anticipation, "let's give Mellark something to chew on, shall we?"

The group rose from the table with renewed purpose, and Katniss shrank back to allow the leaders of 11 and 6 to confer with President Coin. Gale walked a few paces ahead of her, conscious that their interactions could not give way to suspicion.

Feeling a hand land lightly on her shoulder, Katniss started and released a hiss of surprise. She turned to find the leader of District 4, Lyra Trupp, ambling beside her with a strangely amused grin spread across her features.

The woman's eyes creased as she smiled, and she inclined her head closer to Katniss' as if to divulge some great secret. Her sky blue irises shone with mirth, and she removed her spectacles from the bridge of her nose as she leant in, speaking in barely above a whisper.

"I think that young man is quite fond of you," she nodded toward Gale's back, beaming up at him as he chose that moment to turn around and regard the two women with apparent confusion. "He can barely take his eyes off you."

"We're old friends," Katniss replied reflexively, forcing a smile in place so as not to come across as too abrasive in her response.

The leader of 4 cocked her head and smirked almost conspiratorially at Katniss before slipping her arm through the younger woman's.

"That may be so but I'm no fool, Katniss," Lyra replied quietly, her fingers squeezing Katniss' bicep gently in a gesture that the Mockingjay could construe as either comforting or threatening. Instinctively, she found herself assuming the latter and her body was immediately tense.

"I don't know what y..." Katniss began, her mouth snapping closed as the woman walking at her side let out a bout of amused laughter, shaking her head as they continued along the corridors together.

"You don't need to worry about me," she stated, her tone firm and leaving no room for argument, "I know where my allegiances lie and that is most definitely not with the Capitol. You have nothing to fear from my district."

"Good to know," Katniss quietly countered, her eyes drifting to Gale's back as he walked in front of them. She watched the muscles in his shoulders ripple as his arms swung slightly at his sides, his gait strong and decisive. He fit the role that he had been cast in well, but Katniss had always known there was a chance that their facade would be discovered sooner or later. In fact, she was remarkably surprised that it had been later rather than sooner.

"I see it in the way you look at him too, like he holds the stars and hangs the moon," Lyra murmured, deliberately maintaining a low tone, "it's quite refreshing amid all this anger and bloodshed."

Katniss remained silent, half lost in her own thoughts and half rendered speechless by the other woman's observations.

"You should hold onto it, you know," she continued, her voice growing almost jovial now, "there's plenty in this world of ours that can beat you down and not much left that can lift you up, except of course for love."

"Like I said, we're just friends," Katniss lied, wondering just how alarmed she should be at the woman's intuition and powers of observation.

"Alright dear, whatever you say," she winked kindly, patting Katniss' arm before she moved from her side and caught up with President Coin and the other leaders. Turning to cast a quick glance back at Gale, Lyra caught his eye.

"Don't lose your chance there, young man. She likes you!"

Gale nodded, uncertain of exactly what it was he was agreeing with, but deciding that investigating further would probably be unwise.

Waiting until the other district leaders had been shepherded into the control room, Katniss caught up with her husband, who was wearing a comically smug expression.

"So... you like me, huh?" he teased, making sure to keep his voice low so others couldn't overhear. He nudged her shoulder and she rolled her eyes at the mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"No. Not at all," Katniss dead-panned.

Gale chuckled and the low rumble that reverberated from his chest made Katniss smile. Slipping her hand behind her back, Gale followed her lead and slid his own hand around to meet hers. Threading their fingers together, the couple walked down the hallway, exchanging affectionate and not entirely innocent glances that sent a pleasant shiver to the pit of Katniss' stomach.

"You ready?" he asked, as they drew to a halt outside the sound stage adjacent to the control room that had been constructed solely for the Mockingjay's broadcasts.

"I guess," she murmured, steeling herself and taking a deep breath as she unwillingly released his hand and opened the heavy steel door to the studio, before stepping into the chaos of the prep team's lighting and sound tests.


End file.
